Below is a reprint of the the above referenced. I was really displeased with the way this posted with such tiny print. If you suffered through the original, this is pretty much the same, although I did revise here and there.

WORLD BOXING REVIEWFebruary 1957

Bailey's BeatBy Skip Bailey

Hold on Harold!

Harold (Hal) Carter could soon be fighting for the heavyweight title after his upset decision over Eddie Machen. Or perhaps not! Current champ, Floyd Patterson defends his crown next month against number one contender Tommy "Hurricane" Jackson. Regardless of the outcome, there's no guarantee that Carter would be next in line for a title shot.

If Patterson retains his title, his obligation under Univeral Boxing Organization (UBO) rules is to have three defenses this year against contenders ranked among the organization's top five. By meeting Jackson, Floyd's already satisfied the UBO top contender requirement. You can rest assured that Patterson's manager, Cus D'Amato, will closely survey the field and match his champ against the weakest candidate.

In the event that Jackson takes the title, there could be a rematch. Although rematches are not automatic in the UBO when a title changes hands, Floyd woud have the inside tract to get the opportunity to reclaim the crown. This could lead to a rubber match. The bottom line? The title could be tied up with Patterson-Jackson contests for most of the year.

Meanwhile, Carter would have to fight division talent at least twice this year to maintain his ranking. Let's face facts here. He was a little lucky in pulling off a win against Machen. Eddie came into the ring in less than top shape and fought half-heartedly for most of the bout. Taking nothing away from Carter, he's not the best contender in the division.

Heavyweight Action

Holman Decisions Pastrano

Fighting before a partisan crowd at Chicago's Marigold Gardens, John Holman scored an easy ten round decision over New Orleans whiz kid Willie Pastrano. Coming into the ring with a three inch height advantage and outweighing his opponent by nearly twenty pounds, Holman was able to bull Pastrano around the ring for most of the fight.

Throughout the contest, Pastrano was not particularly aggressive and seemed content to ride the bicycle in an effort to keep Holman at bay. Unfurtunately the light-hitting Willie lacked to power to punish his incoming foe. By the end of the eighth round, Pastrano began to tire and took an Holman hook early in the next frame for a ticket to the canvas and a count of eight.

In the end, Holman;s victory was more the result of his size advantage rather than his boxing superiority. Pastrano's loss is just another reminder of a serious problems facing the boxing game. Today's fighters are bigger and stronger than they were a generation ago, and ten years they'll be even larger. The days of a successful heavyweight tipping the scales under two hundred pounds are quickly coming to a close. The UBO needs to copy the European model and create a world cruiserweight division, and do it soon!

Cooper Stops Bygraves To Take British Crown

English fan favorite Henry Cooper moved up in the ranks by taking the British Empire title from Jamaican-born Joe Bygraves via a ten round TKO at London's Earls Court. Cooper dominated the contest by pounding both head and body with his lethal left hook.

Ironically, Cooper, who has a reputation as a bleeder, left the ring intact and drew blood early in the natch with a sharp hook that opened a nasty gash under Bygraves's eye. The cut continued to bleed throughout the bout and was somewhat of a distraction for the Jamaican.

Neverhelss, it was Cooper's vicious hooks that dominated Joe's attention. After taking a severe beating for nine rounds, Bygraves barely made it off his stool at the start of the tenth. A hard right put Bygraves on the mat for a tough eight. When he got up, he wasn't in any condtion to continue. Referee Wally Blum quickly stopped the contest after Cooper unleashed a series of hard combinations.

Johnson Retains Golden State Title

Young Jack Johnson coasted to victory with a unanimous twelve round decision in his California state title defense against tough Reuben Vargas. The games but much smaller Vargas gave up five inches and forty pounds which provided Johnson with a considerable advantage.

Vargas, a protege of fomer champ Rocky Marciano, attempted to emulate his mentor's style and fight Johnson inside. Johnson, who moves around the ring very well for a big man, kept Reuben at long range with effective jabs nad accurate crosses. Vargas did hurt Young Jack a few times but was unable to take advantage of the situation.

Johnson had pretty much kept his crown on ice for quite some time and came close to losing it for failure to defend. Soon after his victory, the champ was informed by the California state boxing officials that he must put his belt on the line against Roger Rischer no later than mid-April or the title will be declared vacant.

The Grapvine

Lone Star phenom, Roy Harris, will face tough Willi Bessmanoff next month. A win for the Cut and Shoot stylist might propel him into the rankings...Speaking of Texas, keep your eye on Houston's Cleveland "Big Cat" Williams. He's big, strong, and has a killer punch. Big Cat's only twenty-three but already has more than six years in as a pro. He'll be facing veteran Frankie Daniels on the Patterson-Jackson undercard. An impressive victory could take him far. Already in motion is a matchup between the new British champ Henry Cooper and European heavyweight king Ingemar Johannson slated for late April or early May. It should be some kind of slugfest with Henry's hook and Ingo's right in the same ring.

UBO prsident Hans Reuter and Cus D'Amato appear to be on a collision course, and you can expect things to come to head before year's end. The UBO was established in large part in response to D'Amao's efforts to have his champ, Floyd Patterson, fight selective (ready easy) opponents (read Pete Rademacher) while ignoring deserving (read tough) contneders. Expect Cus to use every trick in the book to keep the heavyweight crown on Floyd's head by cherry-picking the challengers. Let's see how President Reuter reacts!!!!

See you next month with a ringside account of the Patterson-Jackson fight!